


The New Normal

by MissLit



Series: Faithfully [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 17:54:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12086265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissLit/pseuds/MissLit
Summary: A treaty has officially come from the Empire, but that means Noctis and Lunafreya are to be married. Prompto's entire world is crumbling around him and it's all he can do to keep it together.





	The New Normal

**Author's Note:**

> This is part five of my Faithfully series. If you're interested to see how Prompto and Noctis started dating I'd highly recommend going back and reading the first four parts.

When the news came in, Prompto hadn’t heard it from anybody he knew. There was no message from Gladio or a phone call from Ignis. Nothing from anyone. That made it all harder, because instead of hearing it from someone he cared about and trusted he had to hear it from the morning news. 

“The Citadel has finally released a statement today in response to the Empire’s treaty,” the reporter was saying. She looked somber, but maybe that was just Prompto’s imagination. He hadn’t seen Noctis in several days at that point. His prince had been called away to look over the treaty with his father and the other dignitaries and from what he understood it would be days of agonizing work to decipher all the loopholes and possible traps the Empire had laid.

The reporter was saying something about all the treaty entailed, different territories that were being signed away and specifications for scaling back weapons. The part that broke him came last. 

“King Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII’s son, Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, is to be wed to the Oracle, Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, as part of the treaty’s agreement,” she read. “Plans for the prince to leave the kingdom are already underway.” 

The moment the words left her mouth his phone began going crazy. 

Everything was in a haze. Noctis and he had been together for a little over two years. They’d been assured by the king himself that he had no plans to marry Noctis off. That one fear that had kept them apart until they were adults was suddenly coming back with a vengeance and there was nothing they could do to stop it. 

His phone was still going off. Text tones rang out from a few different applications, his phone would ring for a second or so -- or was it minutes? -- and then go quiet again. He knew he’d have to answer it eventually but at the moment he couldn’t bring himself to even look. There was a small part of him that hoped this was all some horrible dream. 

A short while later there was a knock at his door. Hesitantly, he went over and opened it, face to face with Gladio. 

“Is there some reason you’re ignoring everybody?” Gladio demanded, pushing his way into the house. 

Prompto numbly closed the door, following Gladio into the living room. He stepped in just in time to see Gladio switching off the TV. An image of Noctis next to Luna with wedding bells superimposed behind them had been there, mocking him. 

“Snap out of it.” 

The blond turned his gaze to Gladio, frowning. “What?” he grumbled.

Gladio stepped closer to him, putting his hands on Prompto’s shoulders. “I said snap out of it,” he growled. “You’re not the only one who’s shocked by all of this. This came out of nowhere, you know?”

“What… Am I supposed to do?” Prompto finally asked. He could feel hot, angry tears stinging at his eyes. He was sad, sure, but there was also a fury building up inside him. Did Noctis know this was coming? Is that why he hadn’t spoken with him? Hadn’t Regis promised them he wouldn’t allow this to happen?

“You’re gonna get dressed and you’re gonna come with me to the Citadel,” Gladio ordered. 

Prompto shook his head, brushing Gladio’s hands off his shoulders. “No… I can’t go,” he insisted. “Not if Noct is gonna be there.”

“You think he wanted this?” Gladio shot back. “Do you really think that he would ask for this?”

“He could have warned me!” Prompto snapped. “He knew about it, didn’t he? It should have been in the treaty from the beginning so why didn’t anyone warn me!”

Gladio ran a hand down his face, sighing in frustration. “Treaties are more complex than that. If any part of it had gotten out the city would have been in a panic. Everybody has something to say about the way this country is run, but it’s not their decision. And it isn’t yours.” He gave Prompto a hard look. 

Still, Prompto could feel that whirlwind of anger building. “I wouldn’t have spread it around. The least he could have done is told me himself, in person.”

“I don’t think you get it.” Prompto paused, crossing his arms over his chest with a frown as he listened. “Noctis fought tooth and nail to get that part taken out. The Empire wouldn’t budge. Can you imagine what it would have looked like if he would have run off to your place without a word? If the Empire didn’t know about you and he before they would have after a display like that. He’s protecting you best he knows how, so you better fix your attitude.”

Noctis… Was protecting him? The anger had quickly drained out of him and he stood staring Gladio down with a lost look in his eye. Gladio was right, it would have looked bad. Not only would Noctis have been in danger but he would have put Prompto in danger as well. He did what he had to as a prince and as his boyfriend. 

“So… Why take me to the Citadel now?” he finally asked.

Gladio was grabbing Prompto’s coat for him. “You’re a member of the Crownsguard,” he simply replied. “You’re one of us picked to escort his majesty to his new bride.”

That hurt almost as bad as Noctis being engaged. 

“You’re kidding, right?” Prompto asked. His chest felt tight. Everything was too loud and too quiet at the same time. 

Turning back to the blond, Gladio gave him another withering look. “I’m not. The king wants you to go with Noctis to pick up Lunafreya for the wedding. And you’re coming.” Prompto opened his mouth to argue but got his jacket thrown at him for his troubles. “Save it for when you see the prince.”

The ride to the Citadel was somber. Prompto had little else to say and Gladio seemed to be pleased with the silence. The blond stared out the window, watching the city pass by. After a few streets he realized that people looked to be as mournful as he felt. Was he imagining it? 

When they arrived, Ignis and Cor were waiting for them on the steps. Ignis looked as calm as ever, but Prompto could tell he was shaken. His face was pale and he was holding his hands tightly behind his back. As they approached he reached out a quivering hand and placed it on Prompto’s shoulder. The small touch was comforting, if only slightly.

“His Highness would like to see you in private,” Cor said to Prompto. He didn’t wait for a response, turning away and marching up the stairs.

It seemed like the Citadel was in a panic as advisors and guards rushed this way and that, shouting orders at one another. Prompto barely gave them a glance as he followed Cor’s swift steps through the winding corridors. Finally, they stopped in front of a beautifully carved door. 

“I’ll wait here,” Cor murmured. He looked as though he wanted to say more but instead he stood sentry, crossing his arms over his chest. After a moment of hesitation, Prompto pushed the doors open.

He couldn’t remember if he’d ever been here. He and Noctis rarely came to the Citadel together, and if they did they weren’t alone for long. It was a clean room with a four poster bed, shelves of books against one wall, and a table with some high backed chairs set in front of a fireplace. Pacing through the room looking frazzled was Noctis.

“Noct,” Prompto breathed, sliding the door closed. At the sound of his name Noctis froze, looking over. The next thing Prompto knew he had an armful of the prince. Noctis was quivering in his grip, grasping the back of Prompto’s jacket like it was his last lifeline. Maybe it was.

“I’m sorry,” Noctis finally managed. “Should have called… I couldn’t risk it, they’re everywhere, they’ve been watching so close…”

Any anger Prompto had had from earlier was washed away. “Shh,” he soothed, running a hand through Noctis’s hair. “I know. Gladio explained, I… It’s fine.”

Noctis slowly pulled back, looking away. “It’s not. I have to. I have to marry her.” He looked angry at first, then sad, then a little dazed. If Prompto thought he’d been out of sorts it was nothing compared to what Noctis was going through. A jolt of guilt went through him. Poor Noctis looked shaken. “Prompto,” he whimpered. “I don’t… Want to marry Luna. I don’t want to be with anyone but you.”

“I know that,” Prompto said. Still, his heart had leapt at the other’s words.

“... Let’s go,” Noctis murmured after a thoughtful pause, looking up at Prompto with wild eyes. “Let’s… Get away. Far away. We’ll run.”

“Noct--”

“Yeah! That’s what we’ll do. Gladio can tell them we’re dead, then they can’t be angry at Dad and I won’t have to leave you!”

“Noctis…”

“We can go to Galdin Quay… Take a boat, we can go far away.”

Prompto grabbed Noctis by his arms, shaking him. “Noctis!” he snapped. The prince had never looked so small and afraid. “... I’m going with you. We’re going to go get Lunafreya and you’re going to marry her.”

“Prompto,” Noctis gasped, but the blond shook his head. 

“You know I still love you… And you still love me. No matter what.” Prompto gave him a steadying look. “But this is your duty, right? You’re supposed to do it so we won’t be at war anymore, you’re gonna do this so everyone can be happy. Luna, me, Gladio, Iggy, your dad… Everyone.”

For a moment it looked like Noctis didn’t register what he’d said. Then, slowly, hot tears began slipping down his cheeks. There was a couple at first, but eventually a flood of tears cascaded down. The look on Noctis’s face was heartbreaking. 

“Noct…”

“I’m so scared,” Noctis whispered. Prompto tugged him into his arms again, running a hand over his shoulders and down his back, up again as Noctis quivered. “If they find out about you… They’ll call off the wedding. They’ll say I was cheating, they can use that to say we failed to follow the treaty.” 

Prompto hadn’t thought of that. He was sure Noctis hadn’t either, but Ignis or someone else probably told him.

“I want this war to be over. I want Luna to be safe, I want everyone to be okay,” Noctis confided.

Something they rarely spoke about was politics. Noctis was the prince, his opinions were well guarded so as not to be swayed. Prompto had no real say in anything. The War wasn’t something they liked to talk about, and in fact had only been brought up in conversation by Ignis or Gladio once or twice before. 

Prompto nodded in response, saying, “It’d be nice…”

“I’m sure you were mad that I’m being married off,” Noctis grumbled. 

“Disappointed, definitely. But not mad so much… Not anymore at least.” Prompto grinned as he heard Noctis laugh lightly at his bad joke. 

“I want you to go with me. To meet Luna. To the wedding…”

That was a big ask. Noctis knew that. But without hesitation, Prompto nodded again. “I’ll go,” he murmured, kissing the top of Noctis’s head. “It’s gonna suck, watching you marry someone else. But if that’s what you want, I’ll be there. Ever at your side…”

The phrase calmed his prince significantly. Noctis’s eyes drifted closed as he leaned into Prompto’s embrace. 

This wasn’t going to be easy. None of it had been thus far. Even though they’d been assured they would be allowed to stay together somehow they both knew this was a vulnerability in their relationship. Maybe it was the war or the fact that they were so far apart in status, but whatever it was had made this just a little easier to swallow. 

They stood in silence holding one another until Cor finally knocked again to call for them to meet with Regis. The rest of the day seemed to blend together in official speeches and plans for their trip. Prompto couldn’t believe how quickly Ignis had recovered as he packed and ordered he and Gladio around. 

Every chance he got, Prompto slipped a hand into Noctis’s. It was all he could do to show his support. There were so many eyes on them now on every minute of every day. They used to spend their nights hauled up in Prompto’s room or Noctis’s apartment, but now they couldn’t afford to be seen alone together.

Soon enough the group was ready to leave the city. Noctis opted to take his treasured Regalia for the trip. Gladio packed all his best camping supplies, Ignis gathered enough food for what would hopefully be a quick journey. Prompto felt somewhat useless in comparison. 

As they drove off and out of the city, Noctis reached forward and put a hand to his shoulder. “Here we go,” Gladio rumbled, arms crossed as he kept an eye on the road ahead. No one else knew what to say. In just a matter of days their entire world had been shattered. Slowly, Prompto brought his hand up to rest on top of Noctis’s. For now, they would just have to adjust to the new normal.

**Author's Note:**

> It's all downhill from here, folks, just warning you. Thank you for reading.


End file.
